Balanced Attack Leads Blue Softball to Sweep of Clark

WORCESTER, Mass. -- Wellesley College softball recorded 14 hits in a 9-1 game one victory before adding ten more in a 7-2 game two victory to sweep host Clark University in a New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) doubleheader on Tuesday evening at O'Brien Field. 

Wellesley snaps a three-game skid to jump to 11-9 overall and 4-5 in NEWMAC contests. Clark moves to 2-20 on the season and 0-12 in conference play. 

Game One: Wellesley 9, Clark 1

After three consecutive scoreless innings to open play, Wellesley broke the deadlock when sophomore Ashtyn Coleman (Scottsdale, Ariz.) singled to left to score senior Emilyrose Havrilla (Caldwell, N.J.), after Havrilla reached on a two-out error. 

Clark tied the score in the bottom of the inning, as sophomore Lauren Mackey (Dublin, N.H.) drew a leadoff walk before advancing to second on a sacrifice. Alyssa Wright (Manchester, N.H.) then put runners on the corners for the Cougars, with a single, before Mackey scored on an Anjeliica Gonzalez (Merrimack, N.H.) sacrifice fly to centerfield.

The Blue went on to score runs in each of the final three innings to take the 9-1 victory. In the fifth, Amanda Manning (Durham, Calif.) picked up a base hit to left to score senior Abby Casey (Milford, Conn.), before Casey's classmate Maria LaBouyer (Yuba City, Calif.) tripled to right center to bring around the Blue first year. 

Casey added an RBI single of her own in the top of the sixth, as the Blue also tacked on two more runs, thanks to error, to take a 6-1 advantage. Casey finished with a pair of hits, a pair of runs scored and an RBI for the Blue. 

First year Ines Borromeo (Muntinlupa, Philippines) capped-off the Wellesley scoring in the top of the seventh inning. Following an RBI single from Havrilla, Borromeo picked up the first mutli-RBI hit of her career, scoring Havrilla and Ashtyn Coleman to put the contest out of reach, at 9-1. 

In all, eight different Wellesley players recorded at least one hit in game one.

Equally as impressive as the Blue offense, first year Madeline Bianchi pitched seven complete innings, striking out a career-high nine batters while surrendering only two hits and one run to earn her seventh victory of the season.  

Game Two: Wellesley 7, Clark 2

The only Wellesley player not to record a hit in game one, junior Carly Bresee (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) registered a game-high three hits in the nightcap to lead Wellesley to a 7-2 victory. 

Bresee also finished as one of four Blue players to record an RBI, as Casey drove in another, while Jaclyn Tsang (Manalapan, N.J.) and LaBouyer each added a pair. 

Wellesley wasted little time in taking an advantage in game two, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Bresee opened the contest with a double, coming around to score thanks to a single from LaBouyer. LaBouyer later scored on two-out error. 

The Blue jumped to a 5-0 advantage in the fourth, scored three runs on three hits and two errors, including an RBI single from Bresee and a two-RBI doubled to center field from Tsang. 

The Cougars ended Wellesley starter Julia Warner's (Kenmore, Wa.) shutout bid in the bottom of the fourth when Melanie Dusseault (Auburn, N.H.) scored on a fielder's choice RBI from Gonzalez. 

Warner went seven innings in game two, scattering ten hits and striking out three, without surrendering an earned run, to move to an even 4-4 on the season.  

The Blue tagged on another run in the top of the sixth when Casey came around to score on a sacrifice fly from LaBouyer. After leading-off the inning with a walk, Casey moved to second on a single from Bresee. Both players then moved up a base on sacrifice from Tsang before LaBouyer lifted a fly ball to left to bring home Casey. 

Wellesley manufactured one more run in the top of the seventh, as Warner scored on an RBI groundout from Casey after advancing to third on a two-base error by the Clark shortstop. 

The Blue will have a quick turnaround, as they are scheduled to host Emerson in a NEWMAC doubleheader tomorrow afternoon, April 15, at 3:00 PM. Clark will be at Babson in conference action on Friday at 3:00 PM.